JV scores 35 runs in 3 wins
Published 9:26 am Friday, April 27, 2018
Davie’s JV baseball team put up eye-popping numbers last week, scoring 35 runs in three wins and pushing its winning streak to five.
Davie (12-3 overall, 6-2 Central Piedmont Conference) has punished opponents 75-8 during the streak.
Davie hosted East Forsyth on April 17. East ambushed Davie with four runs in the top of the first, even though the visitors didn’t have a hit. Davie helped with an error, four walks and two hit batsmen.
Incredibly, when the first inning ended Davie had a 5-4 lead. The War Eagles went on to win 11-6.
Josh Westmoreland, Joe Johnson and Hunter Meacham had hits in a Davie first that included three walks and an East error.
East scored two unearned runs in the fifth to close within 7-6, but Davie put the game away with four runs – all with two outs – in the sixth. Davie got consecutive hits from Jack Reynolds, Johnson, Meacham, Ethan Wilkins (two-run double) and Bailey McKnight (stand-up triple).
The 2-5 hitters “wore it out” with nine hits and 10 runs, coach Tim McKnight said. No. 3 batter Johnson (4-4, double) and cleanup man Meacham (3-4, double, five RBIs) were especially productive.
Wilkins, winner John Davenport and Johnson shared the pitching duties. Although they walked six and plunked four, they combined on a four-hitter.
“We beat a quality team,” McKnight said. “Anytime you give up a crooked number and you come back in the bottom half and put up a crooked number, that’s huge.”
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In a nonconference game at Mooresville on April 18, Davie pounded out 12 hits, Zach Rodgers pitched 5.2 innings and Davie won with ease, 9-1.
Troy Clary (3-3), Westmoreland (2-4, three RBIs), Johnson (2-4, homer) and Beaven Arey (2-3, two RBIs) powered the offense. Johnson slammed a two-run homer in the sixth, marking Davie’s first long ball of the season and Johnson’s first as a War Eagle.
Rodgers walked only two and struck out eight before giving way to Reynolds, who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
“Zach kept them offstride. His offspeed was really working,” McKnight said. “We put two good offensive games together back to back.”
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The War Eagles continued their hot streak at East Forsyth on April 20, winning 15-0 in five innings.
Wilkins enjoyed a huge double dose of success. He pitched a one-hitter with one walk and 11 Ks. He retired East in order from the second through the fifth, fanning all but six batters in the game. What’s more, he went 4 for 4 at the plate.
But Wilkins was hardly alone as an offensive star. Meacham also went 4 for 4 and McKnight 3 for 4 as Davie piled up 15 hits even though it was without Johnson, the shortstop/No. 3 batter who was pulled up to varsity.
“It was an onslaught,” McKnight said. “It was one of the best displays of hitting that I’ve seen in a while. Their coach said: ‘We’re throwing our No. 1 at you today.’ We ripped him.”